People Without Insurance Seek New Options From Insurance Marketplaces

For consumers who are seeking insurance through the new law, the marketplace's technical problems have been frustrating, but many remain eager.

Kaiser Health News: Back To Work After A Baby -- But Without Insurance This Time
Pardit Pri had insurance until she decided to quit her job as a legal administrative assistant and stay home with her newborn son 20 months ago. And she expected to have it again. But it didn't work out that way (Varney, 10/3).

Kaiser Health News: Small Businesses May Find Relief In Health Insurance Exchanges Designed For Them
But while about 45 employees work here to make Hollywood magic happen, general manager Sunder Ramani is focused on the less exotic work of paying the bills and figuring out how to provide insurance to about 15 employees who don't have union-provided health coverage (O'Neill, 10/3).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: R.I. Woman Among First To Enroll In Obamacare Exchange
Uninsured for more than five years, Leslie Peters says she was "chompin' at the bit" to get coverage to afford regular medical care that she often has gone without. That's why as soon as HealthSource RI, the Rhode Island online health insurance exchange, went live Tuesday, she enrolled. "I was so excited," said Peters, who lives in Tiverton, R.I. (Galewitz, 10/2).

The Wall Street Journal: Micro Businesses Find Health-Care Rollout Is Slow
Porche Lovely of Denver attempted to enroll in a health-care plan through her state's new insurance exchange Tuesday because her employer doesn't offer health benefits. Her employer? Porche Lovely. Among the 22 million Americans expected to sign up for health insurance through the new state exchanges over the next two years are owners of micro businesses—companies with just a few or no employees (Needleman, 10/2).

Reuters: Covered And Looking For Deals, Americans Shop Obamacare
Stephanie Desaulniers is among the millions of Americans seeking information on new Obamacare health insurance plans launched this week, not because she lacks coverage, but because she's ready for a better deal. The 26-year-old geologist has health benefits through her employer, an environmental consulting firm in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (Skinner, 10/2).

Politico also reports on the work of "navigators" and other enrollment assisters, who will help people through the health law's insurance shopping process as well as how Enroll America, an advocacy group, is scouting for people to target for enrollment.

Politico: ACA’s Foot Soldiers Help Families Deal With System
Forget the technical glitches. Navigators and other enrollment assisters are trying to prepare for the hundreds of different scenarios families are going to bring to Obamacare. A single mother with expiring unemployment benefits? A mom who is undocumented and a father who has papers? A family that earns too much money for Medicaid but not enough to get subsidies? (Haberkorn, 10/3).

Politico Pro: Enroll America Ads Use Microtargeting For Obamacare Signup
The White House wants 7 million people to get covered in the first year, and the pro-Obamacare organization hopes to scout out as many as possible by New Year's. The medium of choice: Digital ads that can microtarget exactly those they're trying to reach — young people, women and minorities who lack insurance and live in states that aren't doing enrollment outreach. Good thing for Enroll America, these are also the folks who spend the most time online. The buy isn't huge compared to the hundreds of millions already poured into negative advertising about the health law. But Enroll America is convinced that using Internet targeting techniques, which are getting more precise all the time, will make up for whatever they lack in funds (Cunningham, 10/2).

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.